PDF catalog or online catalog? Which should you use, and when?
How can you choose a catalog method for products and prices that keep changing?
The core difference
A PDF catalog is a document shared as a file. An online catalog is a catalog that opens through a link and whose published content can be updated from an admin panel. Which one to use depends on the number of products, how often things change and what you want the customer to do.
A PDF may be preferred for reviewing a fixed collection in a meeting or for sending the content as of a specific date as a file. In a business where prices, options or product information change, reaching the current catalog from the same link may be more practical.
Think about the update process
When a PDF is renewed, the new file has to be sent again. The previous version may still be on the customer’s phone. With an online catalog, when the business updates the published information, visitors can reach the new content through the existing link.
This difference matters especially for companies that work with many products. If adding products, correcting descriptions or changing prices are frequent tasks, plan for the responsibility of keeping things up to date as much as for preparing the catalog.
How should product information be organized?
Use a clear name, description and image for each product or service. If you show prices, state which option each price applies to. If there are differences in size, color or package, explain them in the text. In a service catalog, make the scope, additional options and the information expected from the customer clear.
Catalog lets you organize products, services, packages and portfolio content as an online catalog. You can add detail with images, videos and priced options, and you can set up a flow in which customers send a request based on the products they are interested in.
What step should the catalog lead the customer to?
The next step should be clear to the person browsing the catalog. Will they send a quote request, ask through WhatsApp, or select specific products? Provide the information needed for this action in the relevant section of the catalog.
Using an online catalog does not by itself mean that all sales happen automatically. You need to set up your business’s quote, order and payment flow consistently with the links in the catalog.
PDF and online catalogs can be used for different purposes in the same business. What matters is preventing customers from acting on outdated information and keeping access to the current catalog open. Explore Catalog.
